IT came late in her life, but singing at Covent Garden, London - one of the world's leading opera houses - was fulfilment of a life-long ambition for Embsay singer Floreen Cairns.

She was given the opportunity after she submitted two tapes of performances she had given in the past to the Royal Opera House education project.

The aim of the project was to present a performance of act two, scene two, of La Traviata, in just two days from scratch.

The Covent Garden people were so impressed that they gave Floreen the part of Flora - the only female amateur to be given a solo role. All the other parts were sung by members of Covent Garden's own staff.

Floreen, of Shires Lane, heard of the course via a former Barnoldswick singer, Audrey Pearce, who is now living in London and is a frequent visitor to the opera house.

Until last year, Floreen had lived in Gargrave for 27 years. She loves to sing with others, and has been a member of Airedale Opera - now Yorkshire Dales Opera - virtually since its inception.

She has sung many leading roles, and will be performing at the group's silver jubilee concert in Embsay Village Hall on Friday May 18.

It will also feature other singers who have taken part in previous productions, including Audrey Pearce, Joan Burniston, Joan and Roddie Hemingway, Joan Edwards, Margaret Greenwood, Jack Parker, Bill Fisher, Peter Wilson, Norman Fryer, John Northrop and Alan Parkinson. The accompanist will be Chris Haigh.

Dales Opera's next production will be Donisetti's Elixir of Love in the autumn.